Elizabeth Berkley ( ) is an American actress and producer. She played Jessie Spano in the ''
Saved by the Bell
''Saved by the Bell'' is an American television teen sitcom created by Sam Bobrick for NBC. The series premiered, in prime time, on August 20, 1989, a Sunday night. Targeted at kids and teens, ''Saved by the Bell'' was broadcast in the United ...
'' television franchise and Nomi Malone in the controversial 1995
Paul Verhoeven
Paul Verhoeven (; born 18 July 1938) is a Dutch filmmaker, who has worked variously in the Netherlands, the United States, and in France. He is known for directing genre films with strong satirical elements, often featuring graphic violence and ...
film '' Showgirls''. She had supporting roles in the box office hits ''
The First Wives Club
''The First Wives Club'' is a 1996 American comedy film directed by Hugh Wilson, based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Olivia Goldsmith. The film stars Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, and Diane Keaton as three divorcées who seek retributi ...
'' and
Oliver Stone
William Oliver Stone (born ) is an American filmmaker. Stone is an acclaimed director, tackling subjects ranging from the Vietnam War and American politics to musical film, musical Biographical film, biopics and Crime film, crime dramas. He has ...
's ''
Any Given Sunday
''Any Given Sunday'' is a 1999 American sports drama film directed by Oliver Stone and produced by Clayton Townsend, Dan Halsted, and Lauren Shuler Donner from a screenplay by Stone and John Logan based on a story written by Logan and Da ...
'', as well as in
Woody Allen
Heywood Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American filmmaker, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades. Allen has received many List of awards and nominations received by Woody Allen, accolade ...
The L Word
''The L Word'' is a television drama series that aired on Showtime in the United States from 2004 to 2009. The series follows the lives of a group of lesbian and bisexual women who live in West Hollywood, California. The premise originated wit ...
'' (2009), Shannon Titus in ''
Titus
Titus Caesar Vespasianus ( ; 30 December 39 – 13 September AD 81) was Roman emperor from 79 to 81. A member of the Flavian dynasty, Titus succeeded his father Vespasian upon his death, becoming the first Roman emperor ever to succeed h ...
'' (2001–2002) and in 2020 she reprised the role of Jessie Spano in the ''
Saved by the Bell
''Saved by the Bell'' is an American television teen sitcom created by Sam Bobrick for NBC. The series premiered, in prime time, on August 20, 1989, a Sunday night. Targeted at kids and teens, ''Saved by the Bell'' was broadcast in the United ...
'' reboot on
Peacock
Peafowl is a common name for two bird species of the genus '' Pavo'' and one species of the closely related genus '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae (the pheasants and their allies). Male peafowl are referred t ...
, for which she also served as a producer. In theatre, she appeared opposite
Eddie Izzard
Suzy Eddie Izzard ( ; born Edward John Izzard, 7 February 1962) is a British stand-up comedian, actor and activist. Her comedic style takes the form of what appears to the audience as rambling whimsical monologues and self-referential pantomi ...
Off-Broadway
An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
production of '' Hurlyburly'', for which she received critical acclaim. She also hosted ''
Bravo
Bravo(s) or The Bravo(s) may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music Groups and labels
* Bravo (band), a Russian rock band
* Bravo (Spanish group), represented Spain at Eurovision 1984
* Bravo Music, an American concert band music publishing compa ...
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' best-seller ''Ask-Elizabeth'', a self-help book for adolescent girls, which drew from the workshops she conducted for her ''Ask-Elizabeth'' program.
For ''
Saved by the Bell
''Saved by the Bell'' is an American television teen sitcom created by Sam Bobrick for NBC. The series premiered, in prime time, on August 20, 1989, a Sunday night. Targeted at kids and teens, ''Saved by the Bell'' was broadcast in the United ...
'' she earned four ''
Young Artist Award
The Young Artist Award (originally known as the Youth in Film Award) is an accolade presented by the Young Artist Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1978 to honor excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young ...
'' nominations and in 1996 she received a ''
National Board of Review
The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures is a non-profit organization of New York City area film enthusiasts. Its awards, which are announced in early December, are considered the first major harbinger of the film awards season that ...
'' award for the ensemble acting in ''First Wives Club''. In 2011, Candie's Foundation honoured her with a prize for her work raising awareness about the risks and hardships associated with teen pregnancy.
Early life
Elizabeth Berkley was born in
Farmington Hills, Michigan
Farmington Hills is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. A northwestern Metro Detroit, suburb of Detroit, Farmington Hills is located roughly from downtown Detroit. As of the 2020 United States censu ...
to Jere and Fred Berkley. Her mother was a gift-basket business owner and her father was a lawyer. She has an older brother, Jason. Her family is
Jewish
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
and she was raised in a
Conservative Jewish
Conservative Judaism, also known as Masorti Judaism, is a Jewish religious movements, Jewish religious movement that regards the authority of Jewish law and tradition as emanating primarily from the assent of the people through the generations ...
household, celebrating her
bat mitzvah
A ''bar mitzvah'' () or ''bat mitzvah'' () is a coming of age ritual in Judaism. According to Jewish law, before children reach a certain age, the parents are responsible for their child's actions. Once Jewish children reach that age, they a ...
at Beth Abraham Hillel Moses in West Bloomfield. She was born with partial heterochromia iridium, a condition of differently colored irises; her right eye is half green and half brown and her left eye is green.
At age four, Berkley began taking jazz and tap lessons with Barbara Fink of Miss Barbara's Dance Center in
Detroit
Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
and later took ballet classes with the professional company Dance Detroit.Beth Cruise (1992). ''Behind the Scenes at Saved by the Bell''. New York, New York: Collier Books. . p. 40. She would also practice at home in a room her parents set up for her in the basement. She danced ''
Swan Lake
''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoje ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, links=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failu ...
'' with principals from the
American Ballet Theatre
American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is a classical ballet company based in New York City. Founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant. Through 2019, it had an annual eight-week season at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center) in the spr ...
and for five years she performed in the
New York City Ballet
New York City Ballet (NYCB) is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company. Léon Barzin was the company's fir ...
holiday production of ''
The Nutcracker
''The Nutcracker'' (, ), Opus number, Op. 71, is an 1892 two-act classical ballet (conceived as a '; ) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, set on Christmas Eve at the foot of a Christmas tree in a child's imagination featuring a Nutcracker doll. Th ...
'' in Detroit.Jan Berenson (1993). ''Meet the Stars of Saved by the Bell and California Dreams''. Chicago, Illinois: Kidsbooks, Inc . p. 18. Her dance recital song-and-tap number ''Hey Look Me Over'' eventually convinced her she wanted to be an actress.
Snoopy
Snoopy is an anthropomorphic beagle in the comic strip ''Peanuts'' by American cartoonist Charles M. Schulz. He also appears in all of the ''Peanuts'' films and television specials. Since his debut on October 4, 1950, Snoopy has become one of ...
in a Cranbrook Theatre production of ''
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
''You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown'' is a 1967 musical with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner and (in a 1999 revision) Andrew Lippa. It is based on the characters created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz in his comic strip ''Peanuts''. The musical ...
''. She continued her training with the Detroit-based company Actors Alliance and starred in two plays, ''Twain by the Tale'' and ''Raft of the Medusa''. Professional stage roles soon followed in regional theatre, earning her an
Actors Equity
The Actors' Equity Association (AEA), commonly called Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American labor union representing those who work in live theatrical performance. Performers appearing in live stage productions without a book or thro ...
card when she was still in middle school. She played Baby June in the musical ''
Gypsy
{{Infobox ethnic group
, group = Romani people
, image =
, image_caption =
, flag = Roma flag.svg
, flag_caption = Romani flag created in 1933 and accepted at the 1971 World Romani Congress
, po ...
'' (Village Players, Birmingham) and Echo in Lee Blessing's '' Eleemosynary'' at the Ann Arbor Repertory theatre. In 1980, she auditioned for the film version of '' Annie'' but was turned down because she was too tall.
She also ventured into modeling, initially doing print work for
Hudson's
The J. L. Hudson Company (commonly known simply as Hudson's) was an upscale retail department store chain based in Detroit, Michigan. Hudson's flagship store, on Woodward Avenue in Downtown Detroit (demolished October 24, 1998), was the talles ...
and other regional outlets and later appearing in TV commercials for department stores in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
,
Milwaukee
Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...
and
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
. She would use her modeling income to commute to Los Angeles and New York to train with professionals, including dancer and choreographer Joe Tremaine, vocal coach Seth Riggs and Broadway Dance Center's Frank Hatchett.
After writing a personal letter to TV producer
Norman Lear
Norman Milton Lear (July 27, 1922December 5, 2023) was an American screenwriter and producer who produced, wrote, created, or developed over 100 shows. Lear created and produced numerous popular 1970s sitcoms, including ''All in the Family'' (1 ...
asking him to make her a star, she received a reply from Lear's assistant, who encouraged her to reach out whenever she was in Los Angeles. Three years later, during a family vacation in California, she contacted his office and Lear helped her setting up with talent agent Judy Savage, of The Savage Agency. That led to her television debut in one episode of ''
Gimme a Break!
''Gimme a Break!'' is an American television sitcom created by Mort Lachman and Sy Rosen that aired on NBC for six seasons from October 29, 1981, to May 12, 1987. The series starred Nell Carter as the housekeeper for a widowed police chief ...
'' and her film debut in the critically acclaimed short film ''Platinum Blonde'', both filmed in 1986. Berkley commuted to Los Angeles on every school break and summer vacation, taking acting classes with Diana Hill and Nora Eckstein of the recently established Young Actors Space and landing roles in ''
Silver Spoons
''Silver Spoons'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC from September 25, 1982, to May 11, 1986, and in first-run syndication from September 27, 1986, to May 30, 1987. The series was produced by Embassy Television for th ...
Frog
A frog is any member of a diverse and largely semiaquatic group of short-bodied, tailless amphibian vertebrates composing the order (biology), order Anura (coming from the Ancient Greek , literally 'without tail'). Frog species with rough ski ...
''.
Still a teenager, she joined the New Faces division of
Elite Model Management
Elite Model Management (MM) is a modeling agency that originated in Paris in 1972.
In 2004, the agencies in New York City, Miami, Los Angeles, and Toronto separated and formed Elite Model Management North America. Elite MM is a subsidiary of El ...
in New York (alongside other up-and-coming models like
Cameron Diaz
Cameron Michelle Diaz (born August 30, 1972) is an American actress. Prolific in both comedy and drama, Cameron Diaz filmography, her films have grossed over $3 billion in the U.S. box-office. Her output of romantic comedies in the late 1990s a ...
) after placing as a finalist in their ''Look of the Year'' contest. In the fall of 1988, her family eventually relocated to Los Angeles when she was still attending North Farmington High School. She signed with Elite's LA division, appeared in YM magazine's November issue as a finalist in the ''Cover Girl'' contest and guest starred in episodes of '' Day by Day'' and '' TV 101''.
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
Saturday-morning sit-com ''Saved by the Bell''. During the final callback, the producers of the show could not decide whether to cast Tiffani-Amber Thiessen or her for the part of Kelly Kapowski. In the end, Thiessen landed the role but Berkley's audition was so impressive that she was ultimately given another leading character, Jessie Spano, a civil-minded student with strong
feminist
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...
views. The show debuted in August 1989 and aired on prime-time for three weeks, before relocating to its designated timeslot on Saturday morning. It quickly turned into a fan-favorite among young audiences, and its six teenage leads became television stars, appearing in teen magazines and on mall tours all around the country.
During the show's breaks over the years, Berkley landed guest starring roles in other popular shows like '' Life Goes On'', '' Married People'' and '' The Hogan Family''. In 1991 she even appeared in
Kathryn Bigelow
Kathryn Ann Bigelow (; born November 27, 1951) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Her accolades include two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. ''Time'' magazine named her one of the 100 most i ...
's ''
Point Break
''Point Break'' is a 1991 American action film directed by Kathryn Bigelow and written by W. Peter Iliff. It stars Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves, Lori Petty and Gary Busey. The film's title refers to the surfing term " point break", where a ...
'' but her small role as a surf shop countergirl was later cut. Soon after graduating from Calabasas High School, she began training with acting coach Roy London and left ''Saved by the Bell'' ahead of time during its fourth and final season, along with co-star Tiffani Amber Thiessen, to focus mainly on feature films. The transition from small to big screen turned out to be a difficult one, though, and Berkley worked mainly for television for the following two years, landing roles in ''
Baywatch
''Baywatch'' is an American Drama (film and television), drama television series about lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles County, California, and Hawaii, starring David Hasselhoff. It was created by Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz ...
Raven
A raven is any of several large-bodied passerine bird species in the genus '' Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between crows and ravens; the two names are assigne ...
Crystal Pepsi
Crystal Pepsi is a cola soft drink made by PepsiCo. It was initially released in the United States and Canada from 1992 to 1994. It was briefly sold in the United Kingdom and Australia.
In 1991, PepsiCo's risk-taking leadership ambitiously resha ...
commercial that debuted during the Super Bowl XXVII. During this time, she enrolled at UCLA to study English Literature.
''Showgirls'' backlash and the beginning of film career (1995)
In the spring of 1994,
Carolco Pictures
Carolco Pictures, Inc. was an American independent film studio that was founded by Mario Kassar and Andrew G. Vajna in 1976. Kassar and Vajna ran Carolco together until 1989, when Vajna left to form Cinergi Pictures. Carolco hit its peak in th ...
opened the casting for the leads in
Paul Verhoeven
Paul Verhoeven (; born 18 July 1938) is a Dutch filmmaker, who has worked variously in the Netherlands, the United States, and in France. He is known for directing genre films with strong satirical elements, often featuring graphic violence and ...
's new film '' Showgirls'', the script of which Berkley had retrieved months earlier while the movie was still in development. Feeling a strong connection to the main character, she conducted thorough research, visiting strip clubs in Los Angeles,
Las Vegas
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
and New York, and interviewing strippers at venues such as Stringfellow's,
Palomino
Palomino is a equine coat color, genetic color in horses, consisting of a gold coat and white mane (horse), mane and tail; the degree of whiteness can vary from bright white to yellow. The palomino color derived from the breeding of Spanish hor ...
and Scores. Despite resistance from her agent at Metropolitan Talent Agency, Berkley personally called ''Showgirls'' producer Charles Evans, introducing herself as Nomi. At her first audition with Paul Verhoeven she told him he might as well stop looking for other actresses because there was no one else who could play that role.
During the extensive casting process, which saw many A-listers auditioning, Berkley briefly reprised the role of Jessie Spano in '' Saved by the Bell – Wedding in Las Vegas'' before heading to Idaho to film the
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American pay television television channel, channel that serves as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney Entertainment business segment of the Walt Disney Company ...
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, with small portions extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U ...
, she received the call that she had booked the lead in ''Showgirls''. Verhoeven later remarked: "We didn't have any more hesitation when we met again Elizabeth Berkley.”
Once the casting announcement was official, Berkley signed with
Creative Artists Agency
Creative Artists Agency, LLC (CAA) is an American talent and sports agency based in Los Angeles, California. With 1,800 employees in March 2016, it is regarded as an influential company in the talent agency business and manages numerous client ...
and began an intensive 12-week rehearsal period with choreographer Marguerite Derricks and the dance ensemble hired for the film. During this preparation phase, she ran into
Demi Moore
Demi Gene Moore ( ; née Guynes; born November 11, 1962) is an American actress. After rising to prominence in the early 1980s, she became the world's highest-paid actress by 1995. List of awards and nominations received by Demi Moore, Her acc ...
at one of the clubs in Los Angeles, where Moore was conducting research for her role in ''
Striptease
A striptease is an erotic or exotic dance in which the performer gradually undresses, either partly or completely, in a seductive and sexually suggestive manner. The person who performs a striptease is commonly known as a "stripper", "exotic d ...
''. Shooting for ''Showgirls'' commenced in
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...
in October 1994 and lasted four and a half months, concluding in March 1995. During this time, Berkley reportedly often danced for up to 16 hours a day, seven days a week, never requiring a body double.
In May 1995, Berkley and Paul Verhoeven attended the
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world.
Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...
to present an 8-minute preview of the film. "I was introduced at Cannes to the world as a movie actress and that was something that was very special," she recalled. The movie was given a previously agreed-upon
NC-17
The Motion Picture Association film rating system is used in the United States and its territories to rate a motion picture's suitability for certain audiences based on its content. The system and the ratings applied to individual motion picture ...
rating in the United States (the first big-budget film to do so) and was released to 1,388 theaters in North America on September 22, 1995. Despite the massive marketing campaign, ''Showgirls'' was a
box office bomb
A box-office bomb is a film that is unprofitable or considered highly unsuccessful during its theatrical run. Although any film for which the combined production budget, marketing, and distribution costs exceed the revenue after release has te ...
during its original, theatrical run and it was widely panned by critics, garnering a level of controversy and hostile criticism rarely seen in recent cinema. Berkley's performance was particularly targeted:
Todd McCarthy
Todd McCarthy (born February 16, 1950) is an American film critic and author. He wrote for '' Variety'' for 31 years as its chief film critic until 2010. In October of that year, he joined ''The Hollywood Reporter'', where he subsequently served ...
described it in '' Variety'' as "harsh, graceless and quickly tiresome", and Barbara Shulgasser of the ''
San Francisco Examiner
The ''San Francisco Examiner'' is a newspaper distributed in and around San Francisco, California, and has been published since 1863.
Once self-dubbed the "Monarch of the Dailies" by then-owner William Randolph Hearst and the flagship of the He ...
'', after comparing her to a
Barbie
Barbie is a fashion doll created by American businesswoman Ruth Handler, manufactured by American toy and entertainment company Mattel and introduced on March 9, 1959. The toy was based on the German Bild Lilli doll, Bild Lilli doll which Hand ...
doll, added: "That Berkley cannot act is indisputable". Only a few critics appreciated Berkley's work:
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' remarked that "the electricity of her anger" made her "a true, leonine presence".
The storm of criticism that followed quickly turned into personal vilification, with reviewers labelling her a "meat puppet on a stick" or, as critic
Gene Siskel
Eugene Kal Siskel (January 26, 1946 – February 20, 1999) was an American film critic and journalist for the ''Chicago Tribune'' who co-hosted a movie review television series alongside colleague Roger Ebert.
Siskel started writing for the '' ...
stated on national television, "not sexy, not particularly appealing and not attractive".
Janet Maslin
Janet R. Maslin (born August 12, 1949) is an American journalist, who served as a film critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1977 to 1999, serving as chief critic for the last six years, and then a literary critic from 2000 to 2015. In 2000, M ...
of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' wrote that Berkley displayed "the open-mouthed, vacant-eyed look of an inflatable party doll". and the ''
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'' opined that she was "quite convincing when asked to play a girl who is not too bright". Berkley was later awarded two Razzie Awards as ''Worst Actress of the Year'' and ''Worst New Star''. A journalist, whose name Berkley never revealed, began his interview asking her: “How does it feel to be a failure?”Elizabeth Berkley (2011). ''Ask Elizabeth: Real Answers to Everything You Secretly Wanted to Ask About Love, Friends, Your Body… and Life in General''. New York, New York: Putnam Publishing Group,U.S.
Reflecting on the ''Showgirls'' backlash, the actress later commented: "There was so much cruelty around it. I was bullied. And I didn't understand why I was being blamed. The job as an actor is to fulfill the vision of the director. And I did everything I was supposed to do. No one associated with the film spoke up on my behalf to protect me. I was left out in the cold and I was a pariah in the industry I had worked so hard for." Verhoeven often took responsibilities for the way Berkley's performance was perceived and criticized. Soon after the release of the film, he stated: "Certainly I am partly, or in large degree, responsible. I asked her to do it that way." In an interview with ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' in 2015, he again made it explicit that he felt as if he was to blame for Berkley's performance: "People have, of course, criticized her for being over-the-top in her performance. Most of that comes from me. I pushed it in that direction. Good or not good, I was the one who asked her to exaggerate everything — every move — because that was the element of style that I thought would work for the movie." Film producer Scott Rudin publicly defended her, declaring: "I was impressed with her and her professional attitude about her job. I think what she's been through must be about as hard as I can imagine anything being for an actress". In the wake of the film's negative fallout, Berkley made a reportedly "tempestuous" exit from Creative Artists Agency, and spent the following week meeting with ICM,
William Morris Agency
The William Morris Agency (WMA) was a Hollywood-based talent agency. It represented some of the best-known 20th-century entertainers in film, television, and music. During its 109-year tenure it came to be regarded as the "first great talent ...
, and
United Talent Agency
United Talent Agency (UTA) is a global talent agency based in Beverly Hills, California. Established in 1991, it represents artists and other professionals across the entertainment industry. , the company has more than 1,400 global employees. ...
, ultimately signing with the latter. Willing to rehabilitate her image, she embarked alone on an international promotional tour across major territories, including
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
,
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
,
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
,
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
and
Hong Kong
Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
.
Resurgence, independent cinema and London's West End (1996–1999)
After the controversial release of ''Showgirls'', Berkley was met with total resistance from most filmmakers and casting directors, many of whom wouldn't even agree to meet with her. Only a handful of prominent directors stepped up, expressing interest in testing her for leading roles in their upcoming films. Among them were Milos Forman (for '' The People vs. Larry Flynt''),
Oliver Stone
William Oliver Stone (born ) is an American filmmaker. Stone is an acclaimed director, tackling subjects ranging from the Vietnam War and American politics to musical film, musical Biographical film, biopics and Crime film, crime dramas. He has ...
(for ''
U-Turn
A U-turn in driving refers to performing a 180° rotation to reverse the direction of travel. It is called a "U-turn" because the maneuver looks like the U, letter U. In some areas, the maneuver is illegal, while in others, it is treated as ...
''),
Luc Besson
Luc Paul Maurice Besson (; born 18 March 1959) is a French filmmaker. He directed and produced the films '' Subway'' (1985), '' The Big Blue'' (1988), and '' La Femme Nikita'' (1990). Associated with the '' Cinéma du look'' film movement, he h ...
(for ''
The Fifth Element
''The Fifth Element'' () is a 1997 English-language French science-fiction action film conceived and directed by Luc Besson, and co-written by Besson and Robert Mark Kamen. It stars Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm, an ...
'') and
Michael Bay
Michael Benjamin Bay (born February 17, 1965) is an American film director and producer. He is best known for making big-budget high-concept action films with fast cutting, stylistic cinematography and visuals, and extensive use of special eff ...
(for ''
Armageddon
Armageddon ( ; ; ; from ) is the prophesied gathering of armies for a battle during the end times, according to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. Armageddon is variously interpreted as either a literal or a ...
''). "It was inspiring, actually comforting to have them trust me and support me and embrace my work," she shared.
In her quest to find a follow-up project, the actress returned to acting classes with coach Howard Fine, starting again from level 1. She also trained under
Uta Hagen
Uta Thyra Hagen (12 June 1919 – 14 January 2004) was a German-American actress and theatre practitioner. She originated the role of Martha in the 1962 Broadway premiere of '' Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' by Edward Albee, who called her "a ...
.
In December 1995,
Sherry Lansing
Sherry Lansing (born Sherry Lee Duhl; July 31, 1944) is an American former film studio executive serving as chairwoman of Universal Music Group's board of directors since 2023. She previously served as chairwoman and CEO of Paramount Pictures, ...
, chairwoman at
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...
, asked Berkley to test for a supporting role in ''
The First Wives Club
''The First Wives Club'' is a 1996 American comedy film directed by Hugh Wilson, based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Olivia Goldsmith. The film stars Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn, and Diane Keaton as three divorcées who seek retributi ...
'', a comedy starring
Diane Keaton
Diane Keaton (née Hall; born January 5, 1946) is an American actress. She has received List of awards and nominations received by Diane Keaton, various accolades throughout her career spanning over five decades, including an Academy Award, a Bri ...
,
Goldie Hawn
Goldie Jeanne Hawn (born November 21, 1945) is an American actress, producer, dancer, and singer. She achieved stardom and acclaim for playing lighthearted comedic roles in film and television. In a career spanning six decades, she has received ...
, and
Bette Midler
Bette Midler ( ;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and author. Throughout her five-decade career Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Bette Midler, numero ...
. After several auditions, the actress eventually booked the part, the first one after the ''Showgirls'' backlash. ''The First Wives Club'' was released in September 1996 and was a surprise hit, grossing over $100m at the box office. Berkley's small role as naive actress Phoebe LaVelle earned her positive reviews and the entire cast won the
National Board of Review
The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures is a non-profit organization of New York City area film enthusiasts. Its awards, which are announced in early December, are considered the first major harbinger of the film awards season that ...
for "Best Ensemble Performance". A more substantial supporting role followed in Tom DiCillo's independent film '' The Real Blonde''. Although DiCillo initially wanted her for the lead role of Sahara, the supermodel airhead eventually played by
Bridgette Wilson
Bridgette Wilson Sampras (born September 25, 1973) is an American former actress, singer, model and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Teen USA 1990. She began her career in acting, playing the character of Lisa Fenimore on the soap opera '' S ...
, Berkley expressed her desire to play the smaller yet more intriguing part of Tina, a dark-haired
Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
body-double. The movie premiered at the
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023.
The festival has acted ...
before getting a limited theatrical release on February 27, 1998.
She briefly returned to television when she starred in the HBO thriller ''
Random Encounter
A random encounter is a feature commonly used in various role-playing games whereby combat encounters with non-player character (NPC) enemies or other dangers occur sporadically and at random, usually without the enemy being physically detected ...
'' and in one episode of the anthology series '' Perversions of Science''. She was also tapped as a regular cast member for the unaired ABC pilot ''L.A. Med'' and voiced the title character in the animated sci-fi film '' Armitage III – Polymatrix''. For her supporting role as a Russian girl living in
Brighton Beach
Brighton Beach is a List of Brooklyn neighborhoods, neighborhood in the southern portion of the New York City Borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn, within the greater Coney Island area along the Atlantic Ocean coastline. Brighton Beach ...
in
Avi Nesher
Avi Nesher (Hebrew language, Hebrew: אבי נשר; born 13 December 1952) is an Israeli film producer, film director, screenwriter and actor.
Biography
Avi Nesher was born and raised in Ramat Gan, Israel. The child of a Romanian-born diplomat ...
's independent drama
Taxman
"Taxman" is a song by English rock band the Beatles, from their 1966 album ''Revolver''. Written by the group's lead guitarist, George Harrison, with some lyrical assistance from John Lennon, it protests against the higher level of progressive ...
, she studied with a dialogue coach at Berlitz for two months. Reviews were favorable: ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' appreciated the "nicely understated Elizabeth Berkley, sporting a credible Russian accent" and ''The San Francisco Examiner'' acknowledged, "Berkley, who is called on to deliver lines in Russian, seems to be out to prove that she really can act. She can". According to ''Variety'', "the beautiful Berkley added a few moments of relief" and ''
Box Office
A box office or ticket office is a place where ticket (admission), tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through a hole in a wall or window, or at a Wicket gate, wicket. ...
'' admired the "convincing, well-chosen cast". Berkley then starred in the psychological drama '' Last Call'', by Chilean director Christine Lucas and in Malcolm Ingram's road movie '' Tail Lights Fade'', but neither film was able to find theatrical distribution in the U.S.
In the fall of 1998, she landed a role in Oliver Stone's football drama ''
Any Given Sunday
''Any Given Sunday'' is a 1999 American sports drama film directed by Oliver Stone and produced by Clayton Townsend, Dan Halsted, and Lauren Shuler Donner from a screenplay by Stone and John Logan based on a story written by Logan and Da ...
'' as Mandy,
Al Pacino
Alfredo James Pacino ( ; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Known for his intense performances on stage and screen, Pacino is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. His career spans more than five decades, duri ...
's high-priced
call girl
A call girl or female escort is a prostitute who (unlike a street prostitution, street walker) does not display her profession to the general public, nor does she usually work in an institution like a brothel, although she may be employed by ...
. The movie received mixed reviews but it was a financial success, earning $100 million worldwide. In May 1999, Sir Peter Hall cast her as
Lenny Bruce
Leonard Alfred Schneider (October 13, 1925 – August 3, 1966), better known by his stage name Lenny Bruce, was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, and satirist. He was renowned for his open, free-wheeling, and critical style of come ...
's wife in his London West End production of ''Lenny'', starring
Eddie Izzard
Suzy Eddie Izzard ( ; born Edward John Izzard, 7 February 1962) is a British stand-up comedian, actor and activist. Her comedic style takes the form of what appears to the audience as rambling whimsical monologues and self-referential pantomi ...
. The play debuted at Queen's Theatre in July 1999 and had a limited 12-weeks run, due to Izzard's previous commitments. Berkley's portrayal of Honey Harlow (renamed Rusty Blaine in the play) impressed the critics. ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'' dubbed her performance "a convincingly vulnerable portrayal" and the ''
Evening Standard
The ''London Standard'', formerly the ''Evening Standard'' (1904–2024) and originally ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), is a long-established regional newspaper published weekly and distributed free newspaper, free of charge in London, Engl ...
'' described Rusty as a "dejected stripper whom Elizabeth Berkley endows with lovely erotic languor and a true dancing talent." According to ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'', co-stars "David Ryall, Elizabeth Berkley and James Hayes lend good support" and ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' described Berkley's performance as "impressive."
NYPD Blue
''NYPD Blue'' is an American police procedural television series set in New York City, exploring the struggles of the fictional 15th Precinct detective squad in Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwines several plots involving an ensemble ca ...
'' and a co-starring part in the E! original comedy '' Becoming Dick'', Berkley booked a supporting role in
Woody Allen
Heywood Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American filmmaker, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades. Allen has received many List of awards and nominations received by Woody Allen, accolade ...
Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival (, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival held in Venice, Italy. It is the world's oldest film festival and one of the ...
in 2001. That same year it was announced that she would take on the role of Roxie Hart in the Broadway musical ''
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
'' but it ultimately didn't happen for undisclosed reasons. She managed to exhibit her musical talents anyway, by taking part in the 2001 ''Divas Simply Singing'' annual benefit concert at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles, where she sang a rendition of the song ''
Fever
Fever or pyrexia in humans is a symptom of an anti-infection defense mechanism that appears with Human body temperature, body temperature exceeding the normal range caused by an increase in the body's temperature Human body temperature#Fever, s ...
''.
After playing Shannon Titus in three episodes of the sitcom ''
Titus
Titus Caesar Vespasianus ( ; 30 December 39 – 13 September AD 81) was Roman emperor from 79 to 81. A member of the Flavian dynasty, Titus succeeded his father Vespasian upon his death, becoming the first Roman emperor ever to succeed h ...
Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by Tribeca Enterprises. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive programming. The festival ...
and the Best First Film prize at the Venice Film Festival, before opening in selected theatres to rave reviews. Berkley's performance was unanimously praised. Edward Guthmann of the ''
San Francisco Chronicle
The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. ...
'' wrote: “Berkley registers here with an affecting, natural performance. She is the big revelation. See for yourself: She's very, very good.” Both ''
USA Today
''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
'' and
Richard Roeper
Richard E. Roeper (born October 17, 1959) is an American writer. He is a former columnist and film critic for the '' Chicago Sun-Times'', where he wrote for 39 years dating back to 1986 until his departure in 2025. He co-hosted the television s ...
of ''Ebert & Roeper'' called her performance “terrific”, the ''New York Times'' appreciated her “sharp supporting turn”, '' US magazine'' applauded her “pitch perfect supporting turn”, ''
Time Out New York
''Time Out'' is a global magazine published by Time Out Group. ''Time Out'' started as a London-only publication in 1968 and has expanded its editorial recommendations to 333 cities in 59 countries worldwide.
In 2012, the London edition became ...
'' described her performance as “lively and nuanced” and for the '' NY Post'' she was “excellent”. Other well-reviewed roles came afterwards in the Lifetime original drama '' Student Seduction'' and the Canadian dramedy '' Moving Malcolm'', which got a Special Mention from the First Film Jury at the
Montreal World Film Festival
The Montreal World Film Festival (), commonly abbreviated MWFF in English or FFM in French, was an annual film festival in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from 1977 to 2019.Sly Fox''. Directed by
Arthur Penn
Arthur Hiller Penn (September 27, 1922 – September 28, 2010) was an American filmmaker, theatre director, and producer. He was a three-time Academy Award nominee for Academy Award for Best Director, Best Director, and a Tony Awards, Tony Awa ...
and starring
Richard Dreyfuss
Richard Stephen Dreyfuss ( ; Dreyfus; born October 29, 1947) is an American actor. He emerged from the New Hollywood wave of American cinema, finding fame with a succession of leading man parts in the 1970s. He has received an Academy Award, a ...
and Eric Stoltz, the production opened in Broadway in April 2004, after an out-of-town tryout at the Shubert Theatre in
Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
and 22 previews at the
Ethel Barrymore Theatre
The Ethel Barrymore Theatre is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater at 243 West 47th Street (Manhattan), 47th Street in the Theater District, Manhattan, Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Opened in 1928, it ...
in New York. The following year, she replaced Catherine Kellner as Bonnie in the 2005
off-Broadway
An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
Ethan Hawke
Ethan Green Hawke (born November 6, 1970) is an American actor, author, and film director. He made his film debut in ''Explorers (film), Explorers'' (1985), before making a breakthrough performance in ''Dead Poets Society'' (1989). Hawke starr ...
, Parker Posey, and Bobby Cannavale. Berkley had three days to learn the part and received praise for her performance, with
Charles Isherwood
Charles Splaine Isherwood Jr. (born October 1964) is an American theater critic.
Career
A graduate of Stanford University, Isherwood wrote for '' Backstage West'' in Los Angeles. In 1993, he joined the staff of '' Variety'', where he was promote ...
of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' even going as far as publicly apologizing to her for his past criticisms of her ability, stating that the fact she held "her own among this skilled company of scene-stealers is a testament to how much her talent has grown."
Between 2004 and 2007, she lined up some high-profile guest starring roles in the shows ''
Without a Trace
''Without a Trace'' is an American police procedural drama television series created by Hank Steinberg that aired on CBS from September 26, 2002, to May 19, 2009 with the total of seven seasons and 160 episodes. The series focuses the cases of ...
'', '' Threshold'' and '' Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' and played a black widow in the TV movie '' Dark Beauty''.
In 2005 and in 2006, she appeared in the annual ''24 Hour Plays in Broadway'', in which six writers, six directors and 24 actors have 24 hours to write, direct, and perform six 10-minute plays.
Both her comedic stints impressed the critics: among them, Jason Zinoman of ''The New York Times'' (“an appealingly daffy Elizabeth Berkley Lauren” in an “excellent all-star cast”),
Roger Friedman of Fox News (“she held her own live on stage with Tony-winner Cady Huffman, Andrew McCarthy and Cheyenne Jackson. She's ready for SNL!”), the ''
NY Daily News
The ''Daily News'' is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson in New York City as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in tabloid format, and rea ...
'' (“Berkley did a Meryl Streep-worthy Spanish accent in the hilarious Toccata and Fugue”) and ''Theatre Mania'' (“Among the evening's top acting efforts, a ridiculously Spanish-accented Elizabeth Berkley”).
In 2006, she also starred in Douglas Carter Beane's critically acclaimed ''The Cartells: A Prime-Time Soap Opera, Live'' at Comix, opposite
Joanna Gleason
Joanna Gleason (née Hall; born June 2, 1950) is a Canadian-American actress and singer, known for her performances in theatrical musicals and plays, and on film and television.
In theatre, Gleason originated the role of the Baker's Wife in Ste ...
Pedro Pascal
José Pedro Balmaceda Pascal (; born April 2, 1975) is a Chilean and American actor. After nearly two decades of taking small roles on stage and television, Pascal had his breakthrough role, breakout role as Oberyn Martell in the Game of Thr ...
In 2008, Berkley signed on to appear in a multi-episode arc in the sixth season of ''CSI: Miami'', portraying Julia Winston,
Horatio Caine
Horatio "H" Caine is a fictional character and the protagonist of the American crime drama '' CSI: Miami'', portrayed by David Caruso from 2002 to 2012. He is the head of the crime lab, under the rank of Lieutenant of the Miami-Dade Police Dep ...
's ex-lover and mother of his teenage son. All the episodes featuring Berkley ranked in the top 10 of the
Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rat ...
chart and Berkley's role ended appearing in four episodes, including the season finale, before being confirmed for the following season. Commenting on the high ratings during Berkley's appearances, ''TV Guide'' noted: "''CSI: Miami'', it should be reminded, returned to boffo ratings these past two weeks, and in this past Tuesday's special airing gave CBS its best numbers in that 10 o'clock slot in some five years. Do not underestimate the power of the Jessie Spano fan.”
Due to the 2007-08 Writers Guild of America strike, which halted all scripted productions (including ''CSI: Miami''), Berkley took on hosting duties for
Bravo
Bravo(s) or The Bravo(s) may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music Groups and labels
* Bravo (band), a Russian rock band
* Bravo (Spanish group), represented Spain at Eurovision 1984
* Bravo Music, an American concert band music publishing compa ...
's
reality series
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s ...
'' Step It Up and Dance'', a competition featuring ten aspiring dancers competing for a cash prize of $100,000 and the opportunity to work with and perform for some of the country's top choreographers. The show, shot in late 2007 in Los Angeles, premiered in April 2008 and came out as Bravo's strongest ever in its time slot (10/11 C) with 826,000 viewers. The show continued to perform well throughout its run, averaging 756,000 viewers each week (of whom 522,000 were aged 18 to 49) and contributed to Bravo's highest-rated April ever.
During the hiatus of ''CSI: Miami'', Berkley starred alongside David Arquette and
Thomas Jane
Thomas Jane (born Thomas Elliott III; February 22, 1969) is an American actor. Born and raised in Maryland, Jane's film career started with the Telugu-language romantic comedy '' Padamati Sandhya Ragam'' (1987). His other early films included ...
short film
A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film o ...
direct-to-video
Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, television series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strat ...
Donnie Darko
''Donnie Darko'' is a 2001 American Science fiction film, science fiction psychological thriller film written and directed by Richard Kelly (filmmaker), Richard Kelly in his List of directorial debuts, directorial debut, and produced by Flower ...
''), where she played Trudy, a
born-again Christian
To be born again, or to experience the new birth, is a phrase, particularly in evangelical Christianity, that refers to a "spiritual rebirth", or a regeneration of the human spirit. In contrast to one's physical birth, being "born again" is d ...
woman who becomes infatuated with her pastor.
Following her successful nine-episode stint on ''CSI: Miami'', Berkley starred in a multi-episode arc on the Showtime series ''
The L Word
''The L Word'' is a television drama series that aired on Showtime in the United States from 2004 to 2009. The series follows the lives of a group of lesbian and bisexual women who live in West Hollywood, California. The premise originated wit ...
'' during its sixth and final season. She played Kelly Wentworth, a
straight
Straight may refer to:
Slang
* Straight, slang for heterosexual
** Straight-acting, normal person
* Straight, a member of the straight edge subculture
Sport and games
* Straight, an alternative name for the cross, a type of punch in boxing
* Str ...
woman who had a romantic relationship with Jennifer Beals' character Bette Porter, during college.
In August 2009, her appearance on the cover of ''
People magazine
''People'' is an American weekly magazine that specializes in celebrity news and human-interest stories. It is published by Dotdash Meredith, a subsidiary of IAC (company), IAC. With a readership of 46.6 million adults in 2009, ''Peopl ...
'' alongside Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Mario Lopez, Lark Voorhies and Tiffani Thiessen, marked the first ''Saved by the Bell'' official reunion after the show's conclusion in 1994.
In 2011, shortly after completing her national tour to promote her first book '' Ask-Elizabeth'',
Berkley played the lead role in the
Hallmark Channel
Hallmark Channel is an American cable television network owned by Hallmark Media, a subsidiary of Hallmark Cards. The channel broadcasts family-oriented general entertainment programming, including television series and made-for-TV movies.
...
original film ''Lucky Christmas'', about a struggling mother who wins the lottery but must recover her ticket from the glove compartment of her stolen car. The film premiered on November 12, 2011, and opened Hallmarks’ ''Countdown to Christmas'' for that year. Recognizing the material's wholesome nature, ''The New York Times'' nonetheless stated: “Besides the irrational plotting, Ms. Berkley and Mr. Gray-Stanford turn out to be a surprisingly believable, appealing couple-in-the-making.” The television movie marked Berkley's last project before taking a hiatus from full-time acting, as she announced her pregnancy in early 2012. Berkley and her husband, Greg Lauren, welcomed their first child, a boy, in July 2012.
In September 2013, Berkley accepted an offer to participate as a contestant in the 17th season of ''
Dancing with the Stars
''Strictly Come Dancing (widely known as Dancing with the Stars)'' is an international television franchise based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing,'' itself a successor to the show ''Come Dancing'' (1950–1998) ...
'', where she partnered with
Valentin Chmerkovskiy
Valentin Aleksandrovich "Val" Chmerkovskiy (born March 24, 1986) is a Ukrainian-American professional dancer, best known for his appearances on the U.S. version of '' Dancing with the Stars'', which he won three times. Chmerkovskiy is a two-time ...
. Despite receiving several perfect scores from the judges, the couple was eliminated in the 9th week of competition, finishing in 6th place.
During this period, Berkley still lined up a few comedic roles in episodic television: she played a rather unorthodox couple therapist in ABC Family '' Melissa & Joey'' (opposite Melissa Joan Hart and
Joey Lawrence
Joseph Lawrence Mignogna III (born April 20, 1976) is an American actor, musician, singer-songwriter, record producer, podcaster, and game show host. He was a child actor in the early 1980s and portrayed Joey Russo in '' Blossom'' and Joe Longo ...
) and
Zooey Deschanel
Zooey Claire Deschanel ( ; born January 17, 1980) is an American actress and musician. She made her film debut in ''Mumford (film), Mumford'' (1999) and had a supporting role in Cameron Crowe's film ''Almost Famous'' (2000). Deschanel is known f ...
's irresponsible and lazy boss in the Fox sitcom ''
New Girl
''New Girl'' is an American television sitcom created by Elizabeth Meriwether and produced by 20th Century Fox Television for Fox that aired from September 20, 2011, to May 15, 2018. The series revolves around quirky teacher, Jessica Day ( Zo ...
''.She also played the title role in Greg Lauren's short film ''The Fashion Designer'', part of Six01 Studio's installation ''The Blackout'', depicting New York archetypes. The installation was shown in
Bryant Park
Bryant Park is a , privately managed public park in the New York City borough (New York City), borough of Manhattan. It is located between Fifth Avenue and Avenue of the Americas (Sixth Avenue) and between 40th Street (Manhattan), 40th and 42 ...
in January 2014. Additionally, she reunited once again with Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Mario Lopez and Tiffani Thiessen on ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'', where they participated in a ''Saved by the Bell'' sketch with Fallon and Dennis Haskins.
''Saved by the Bell'' reboot and comeback (2020–present)
In September 2019, ''The Hollywood Reporter'' announced that NBCUniversal's upcoming streaming service,
Peacock
Peafowl is a common name for two bird species of the genus '' Pavo'' and one species of the closely related genus '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae (the pheasants and their allies). Male peafowl are referred t ...
was teaming with Berkley and Mario Lopez for a ''Saved by the Bell'' sequel series. Both actors were set to star and also produce the new show.
''
Saved by the Bell
''Saved by the Bell'' is an American television teen sitcom created by Sam Bobrick for NBC. The series premiered, in prime time, on August 20, 1989, a Sunday night. Targeted at kids and teens, ''Saved by the Bell'' was broadcast in the United ...
'', originally set for a summer release, faced several delays in production caused by the
COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
On December 31, 2019, China announced the discovery of a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan. The first American case was reported on January 20, and United States Department of Health and Human Services, Health and Human Services Secreta ...
and wrapped filming in September 2020. On November 25, the day the show premiered, Berkley and Lopez, alongside Mark-Paul Gosselaar and Tiffani Thiessen appeared as guests on ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon''. The show was renewed for a second season, released in November 2021, but despite the strong reviews and the Outstanding Comedy Series award won at the 33rd GLAAD Media Awards, it was cancelled in May 2022.
On November 22, 2021, Berkley joined Abel "The Weeknd" Tesfaye, Lily-Rose Depp, Suzanna Son,
Steve Zissis
Steve Zissis (; born December 17, 1975)
is an American actor, writer and producer. A longtime friend of Jay and Mark Duplass, he has appeared in and co-produced some of their productions, including the films '' Baghead'' (2008), ''Cyrus'' (2010) ...
,
Anne Heche
Anne Celeste Heche ( ; May 25, 1969August 11, 2022) was an American actress, known for her roles across a variety of genres in film, television, and theater. She was the recipient of Daytime Emmy, National Board of Review, and GLAAD Media Awards ...
, Juliebeth Gonzalez and
Troye Sivan
Troye Sivan Mellet ( ; born 5 June 1995) is an Australian singer-songwriter and actor. After gaining popularity as a singer on YouTube and in Australian talent competitions, Sivan signed with Universal Music Australia, EMI Australia in 2013 and ...
in Sam Levinson's upcoming HBO series '' The Idol''. Directed by Amy Seimetz, the show began production in Los Angeles in November. Berkley played a pivotal supporting role but on April 25, 2022, with roughly 80% of the series already filmed, ''Variety'' reported that the show was set to undergo a major overhaul, with "drastic" changes in the cast and creative directions. It was later announced that most of the main and supporting cast members, including Berkley, Heche, Gonzalez and Zissis were no longer part of the project, which was quickly re-written, re-cast and re-shot, with Levinson's taking over directing duties from Seimetz. The series was widely panned upon release and was canceled after one season in August 2023.
In 2024 Berkley returned to the big screen, playing the opening victim in Max Minghella's ''
Shell
Shell may refer to:
Architecture and design
* Shell (structure), a thin structure
** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses
Science Biology
* Seashell, a hard outer layer of a marine ani ...
'', which premiered at the
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the most prestigious and largest publicly attended film festivals in the world. Founded in 1976, the festival takes place every year in early September. The organi ...
. The same year, she received three standing ovations when she introduced a sold-out, 35-mm special screening of ''Showgirls'' at the
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is a film museum opened in 2021 located in Los Angeles, California. The first large-scale museum of its kind in the United States, it houses more than 13 million objects, and is dedicated to the history, sc ...
. During her speech, the actress acknowledged the importance of the queer audience: “I'm so grateful that the film has found its way not only in your hearts but especially the
LGBTQ
LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (sexuality and gender), questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, Asexuality, asexual, ...
community. You stood by the film. You always believed”.
In June 2024, the producers of ''
Cobra Kai
''Cobra Kai'' is an American Martial arts film, martial arts comedy drama television series created by Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg, and distributed by Sony Pictures Television. It serves as a sequel to the first three ''The K ...
'' (reportedly fans of Berkley from their childhood) offered her the role of Moon Taylor's mom Winnie, a character that had been referenced several times over the course of the seasons, but had never been shown.
Berkley filmed her scenes on the final day of production for both Ralph Macchio and Courtney Henggeler in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
. The show's co-lead William Zabka directed the episode.
In September 2024, she booked a guest starring role in Ryan Murphy's
Hulu
Hulu (, ) is an American Subscription business model, subscription streaming media service owned by Disney Streaming, a subsidiary of the Disney Entertainment segment of the Walt Disney Company. It was launched on October 29, 2007, initially as ...
legal drama ''All's Fair''.
Ask-Elizabeth
In 2006, Berkley began facilitating small interactive self-esteem workshops with teen girls all around the United States. She would guide the group in order to create a safe space for the girls and let them open up about any problem they wanted to discuss, from body image issues, dating to goals and dreams. The first workshop was held in New York City but the program's popularity quickly grew. A non-profit organization was formed and a dedicated, interactive website was launched in 2007.
''Ask-Elizabeth'' was also the working title of a
reality series
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s ...
focusing on the program's success and its continued efforts to help girls throughout the country. Produced by
MTV
MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
in collaboration with Berkley's newly created company 5–6–7–8 Productions, the show featured Berkley traveling around the US, examining issues and topics most important to teenaged girls. Amy Bailey, vice president of development in MTV's News and Documentaries division, said Berkley approached MTV with the idea. "She does these workshops around the country with teen girls and gets them to really open up about self-esteem and body issues", said Bailey. "We had been looking for a program that tackled the same issues, so it seemed like a perfect match." Originally expected to premiere in late 2008, the series never materialized.
However, in 2011, Berkley put together the 15 most frequently asked questions from the workshops and published ''Ask-Elizabeth'' through the Penguin Group. Designed by Berkley and her artist husband Greg Lauren to look like a personal diary, the book was a huge success and quickly became a ''New York Times'' Bestseller.
Personal life
Berkley is married to former actor, artist and fashion designer Greg Lauren, nephew of
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren ( ; ; born October 14, 1939) is an American fashion designer, philanthropist, and billionaire businessman, best known for founding the brand Ralph Lauren (brand), Ralph Lauren, a global multibillion-dollar enterprise. He stepped do ...
and son of Jerry Lauren, at the time executive vice president of men's design at
Polo Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren Corporation is an American public company, publicly traded fashion and lifestyle brand founded in 1967 by Ralph Lauren in New York City. The company markets products in apparel, home, accessories, and fragrances, and is most known ...
. The couple met in 2000 during a dance class and were introduced by a mutual friend.''Lovetripper.com'' They were engaged in 2002 and were married on November 1, 2003, at the Esperanza Hotel in
Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas (, "Luke the Evangelist, Saint Luke Cape (geography), Cape"), also known simply as Cabo, is a Resort town, resort city at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, in the Mexican Political divisions of Mexico, state of Baja ...
. Berkley's dress, a silk sheath with pearled spaghetti straps, was the first wedding gown designed by Ralph Lauren.
She formally changed her name to Elizabeth Berkley Lauren, and often uses it professionally. The couple welcomed their first son, Skye Cole Lauren, in July 2012.
Berkley previously dated actor and screenwriter Roger Wilson from 1997 to 1999. She is good friends with actresses Ele Keats, Jennifer Beals and Carla Gugino.
Berkley is a
vegetarian
Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the Eating, consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects as food, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slau ...
, and she doesn't smoke or drink alcohol.
Activism
Over the years, Berkley has been an active supporter of several organizations dedicated to environmental protection, the promotion of vegetarianism, and the health of younger and older people. According to the eighth annual Sesame Place Kids Poll conducted at Sesame Place (Philadelphia) in September 1993, Elizabeth was voted second-best public person to encourage recycling, partially due to the activism of her ''Saved by the Bell'' character Jessie Spano. Basketball superstar
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player, who is currently a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Ass ...
outpolled her with 33% of votes (Elizabeth was favored by 22 percent). Next came
Chelsea Clinton
Chelsea Victoria Clinton (born February 27, 1980) is an American writer. She is the only child of former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, a former U.S. Secretary of State and U.S. Senator.
Clinton was born in Little Rock, Ar ...
and Vice President
Al Gore
Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American former politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. He previously served as ...
.
In 1997, she appeared in the ''Lettuce Be Lean'' campaign sponsored by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to promote a larger range of vegetarian options in restaurants. For the campaign, she donned a $600 form-fitting gown made entirely of collard greens. She later took part in other charity events by the organization.
In May 1996, she was a guest model, along with
Naomi Campbell
Naomi Elaine Campbell (born 22 May 1970) is a British supermodel. Beginning her career at the age of eight, Campbell was one of six models of her generation declared supermodels by the fashion industry and the international press. She was th ...
, Janice Dickinson and other female celebrities, at Todd Oldham's LA Fashion Show. The event raised $600,000 for the AIDS Project Los Angeles.
In December 2005, Berkley and Adrian Grenier were among the judges for the ''Cool vs. Cruel'' design contest, where several young designers launched their fledgling careers recreating existing animal-fur fashions with fur-free materials that don't harm animals. Berkley spoke of the fur-free issue as one close to her heart since her childhood, when she first realized how unnecessary and cruel it is to take fur from animals in order to satisfy human vanity. "As I youngster, when I would see women wearing fur coats in beauty salons, I would slip cards saying, "this fur would look better on its owner" into their pockets." She also autographed a Fur-Free Pledge poster with actor Grant Aleksander. The three winning designers were Rocio Penuelas, Jacinta Ligon e Ricardo Auguste.
In June 2009, she joined actress
Thandie Newton
Melanie Thandiwe Newton ( ; born 6 November 1972), formerly credited as Thandie Newton ( ), is a British actress. She has received various awards, including a Primetime Emmy Award, and a BAFTA Award, as well as nominations for two Golden Globe ...
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
to lead workshops at
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954) is an American television presenter, talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and media proprietor. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show' ...
's Leadership Academy for Girls. At the time, she was also running a monthly column for teen girls in Oprah's website.
In October 2010, Berkley, along with
Alec Baldwin
Alexander Rae Baldwin III (born April 3, 1958) is an American actor and film producer. He is known for his leading and supporting roles in a variety of genres, from comedy to drama. He has received List of awards and nominations received by A ...
,
Slash
Slash may refer to:
* Slash (punctuation), the "/" character
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters
* Slash (Marvel Comics)
* Slash (''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'')
Music
* Harry Slash & The Slashtones, an American rock band
* Nash th ...
Bill Maher
William MaherStated on ''Finding Your Roots'', January 12, 2016, PBS; on a series that lists "Jr." and "Sr." distinctions, Bill Maher's birth name was listed simply as William Maher, while his father was William Aloysius Maher Jr., and his pa ...
, Patrick McDonnell became supporters of the ''Shark-Free Marina Initiative'' to help combat sharks' disappearances from world's oceans. Sponsored by the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation and the
Humane Society of the United States
Humane World for Animals, formerly the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and Humane Society International (HSI), is a global nonprofit organization that focuses on animal welfare and opposes animal-related cruelties of national scop ...
, the initiative reached out marinas across the world asking them to get involved by prohibiting sharks from being landed at their dock.
She has supported the work of other charities and organizations including the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS foundation and the Motion Picture Home for the Aging. In 2011, Candie's Foundation honored her during their annual ''Even to Prevent'', thanks to her work in raising awareness about the consequences of teen pregnancy in the United States.